Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The Western Pyrotechnic Association is proud to announce that the tenth annual “DO- IT” fireworks convention will once again return to Hawthorne on Sept. 17 for five days, at the Hawthorne Racetrack on Bonanza Road. As in years past, the dirt bike trails at the track and surrounding open areas are closed from Tuesday, Sept. 17 through the 22nd and will re-open on Monday, Sept. 23. We appreciate the cooperation of all persons who normally would ride in this area to abide by this closure, as it’s for the safety of all.

All of our convention participants are eager to return to Hawthorne and entertain the community for these few nights. We have found that the community, by in large, supports and enjoys our event as much (if not more) than our membership does and so we gladly return to your community. We look forward to this event all year, and many of our members favor this event over our larger event held in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. each February, due to the friendly and accommodating attitude of Hawthorne residents, county commissioners and local businesses.

Nightly fireworks can be viewed from designated areas along Bonanza Road and we welcome your attendance. Please follow parking and viewing area directions as prescribed by the Mineral County Search and Rescue team, as these areas are designated for your safety.

During the day, the testing of pyrotechnic devices will possibly be heard from the hours of 8 a.m. and concluding at 11 p.m. While we don’t intentionally come to your community to cause harm or discomfort to your pets, animals or livestock, it is the reality of fireworks to be unsettling for animals. We hope this article will be published well in advance of the event, so those of you with pets, can seek alternate lodging during this weekend and/or solicit the opinion and services of your veterinarian so as to minimize the discomfort your animals might experience. Also, please do not bring your pets with you to view the fireworks. It’s very common to have pets run off due to the noise level and none of us want this to happen.

We look forward to returning to Hawthorne and making this a mutually beneficial event for all involved.

Thank you once again to Hawthorne, its residents and local officials for helping to make this event possible!

Mark these dates on your calendar and we hope to see you there!

Would you like to be a member of the WPA and be a part of what’s happening? Please visit www.westernpyro.org.

Greg Dandurand President, Western Pyrotechnics The Western Pyrotechnic Association